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Energy Glossary
 Definitions, Sources and Explanatory Notes
 Category:   Summary
 Topic:   U.S. Crude Oil Supply & Disposition Balance

  Definitions
Key Terms Definition
Barrel A unit of volume equal to 42 U.S. gallons.
Crude Adjustments A balancing item to account for the difference between the supply and disposition of crude oil (formerly called "unaccounted for crude oil").
Crude Oil A mixture of hydrocarbons that exists in liquid phase in natural underground reservoirs and remains liquid at atmospheric pressure after passing through surface separating facilities. Depending upon the characteristics of the crude stream, it may also include:
  • Small amounts of hydrocarbons that exist in gaseous phase in natural underground reservoirs but are liquid at atmospheric pressure after being recovered from oil well (casinghead) gas in lease separators and are subsequently commingled with the crude stream without being separately measured. Lease condensate recovered as a liquid from natural gas wells in lease or field separation facilities and later mixed into the crude stream is also included;
  • Small amounts of nonhydrocarbons produced with the oil, such as sulfur and various metals;
  • Drip gases, and liquid hydrocarbons produced from tar sands, oil sands, gilsonite, and oil shale.


  • Liquids produced at natural gas processing plants are excluded. Crude oil is refined to produce a wide array of petroleum products, including heating oils; gasoline, diesel and jet fuels; lubricants; asphalt; ethane, propane, and butane; and many other products used for their energy or chemical content.
    Disposition The components of petroleum disposition are stock change, crude oil losses, refinery inputs, exports, and products supplied for domestic consumption.
    Ending Stocks Primary stocks of crude oil and petroleum products held in storage as of 12 midnight on the last day of the month. Primary stocks include crude oil or petroleum products held in storage at (or in) leases, refineries, natural gas processing plants, pipelines, tank farms, and bulk terminals that can store at least 50,000 barrels of petroleum products or that can receive petroleum products by tanker, barge, or pipeline. Crude oil that is in-transit by water from Alaska, or that is stored on Federal leases or in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is included. Primary Stocks exclude stocks of foreign origin that are held in bonded warehouse storage.
    Exports Shipments of crude oil and petroleum products from the 50 States and the District of Columbia to foreign countries, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and other U.S. possessions and territories.
    Imports Receipts of crude oil and petroleum products into the 50 States and the District of Columbia from foreign countries, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and other U.S. possessions and territories.
    Imports by PAD District of Entry Represents the PAD District in which the material entered the United States and not necessarily where the crude oil or product is processed and/or consumed.
    Petroleum Administration for Defense (PAD) Districts Geographic aggregations of the 50 States and the District of Columbia into five districts by the Petroleum Administration for Defense in 1950. These districts were originally defined during World War II for purposes of administering oil allocation. Description and maps of PAD Districts and Refining Districts.
    Product Supplied Approximately represents consumption of petroleum products because it measures the disappearance of these products from primary sources, i.e., refineries, natural gas processing plants, blending plants, pipelines, and bulk terminals. In general, product supplied of each product in any given period is computed as follows: field production, plus refinery production, plus imports, plus unaccounted for crude oil, (plus net receipts when calculated on a PAD District basis), minus stock change, minus crude oil losses, minus refinery inputs, minus exports.
    Product Supplied, Crude Oil Crude oil burned on leases and by pipelines as fuel.
    Refinery An installation that manufactures finished petroleum products from crude oil, unfinished oils, natural gas liquids, other hydrocarbons, and oxygenates.
    Refinery Input, Crude Oil Total crude oil (domestic plus foreign) input to crude oil distillation units and other refinery processing units (cokers, etc.).
    Stock Change The difference between stocks at the beginning of the month and stocks at the end of the month. A negative number indicates a decrease in stocks and a positive number indicates an increase in stocks.
    Stocks Inventories of fuel stored for future use. Stocks are reported as of the last day of the period (e.g., week or month).
    Supply The components of petroleum supply are field production, refinery production, imports, and net receipts when calculated on a PAD District basis.
    For definitions of related energy terms, refer to the EIA Energy Glossary.
      Sources
  • Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-810, "Monthly Refinery Report".
  • Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-813, "Monthly Crude Oil Report".
  • Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-814, "Monthly Imports Report".
  • Domestic crude oil production estimates based on historical statistics from State conservation agencies and the Minerals Management Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
  • Export data from the Bureau of the Census and Form EIA-810.
  • EIA Forms & Instructions .
  • Background, Survey Methodology and Statistical Details .
  •   Explanatory Notes
  • Adjustments include an adjustment for crude oil, previously referred to as "Unaccounted For Crude Oil."
  • A negative stock change indicates a decrease in stocks and a positive number indicates an increase in stocks. More details.
  • Data may not add to total due to independent rounding.

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